Knowledge & News

In the second week of our Prodigal series, we flipped the traditional light reading of the story, and looked from the dark underside of tragedy. We came to know the prodigal as a failed attempt to change an unjust system, and differentiate from his controlling father. We read the Christ narrative in light of this radical-prodigal invitation to critique and transform oppressive, inhuman systems.

This week we borrowed our reading of the Prodigal Son from Peter Rollins, who borrowed his reading from Kester Brewin. We viewed the Prodigal as someone attempting to escape from the repressive, and controlling system of his father, by upturning the expectations on him and leaving. We made comparisons between this story, and Star Wars. Luke Skywalker attempts to escape the oppressive system that his father wants to bring him into. In the end, Luke does manage to liberate himself from this system, and ultimately redeems his father. However, the story of the Prodigal Son instead ends in tragedy, as unlike Luke, the Son is subsumed back into the system.

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We value highly the metaphor of journey. We’re different people from different places and backgrounds, representing an intergenerational community, and we’ve traveled different paths. So, we agree not to make assumptions about the person across from us, next to us, or in conversation with us. We challenge ourselves to be sensitive, knowing this community includes a diverse group of people from life-long followers of Jesus, to people who are just now open to the idea that God might exist. We strive to avoid offense, ask good questions, articulate and explain our responses. We don’t assume fluency in bible, spirituality, or Church language, because we believe the message of Jesus is not for Christianity, but for humanity. So, we do everything in the spirit of love and grace.

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